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The merchants were the main people harmed by the route due to the extremely hot conditions, which led to dehydration. Also, they carried so much tea along this trail which weighed more than the merchants more often than not. These two things already were brutal to the merchants, but it gets worse. It was also very easy to get lost on the trail if traversed with no prior knowledge. The trails often changed because of constant use and erosion. According to the map above, we can also see how unpredictable the climate can become. In some places, almost each listed climate zone is touching. This added to the risks of traveling this road because merchants had to be prepared for all weather conditions because it can switch from polar to desert in an instant.

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Tea and horses were mainly traded along the Tea Horse Road, which is where the name comes from. In addition to tea and horses, silk, wool, medicinal herbs and salt were traded along the route. Tea was valued for its importance in the Tibetan diet, horses were traded for their military value, silk for its representation of a high class, herbs for their importance in Chinese medicine, wool from Tibet was used in China to make warm clothes and salt for its use in preservation of food and flavor. Because Tibet lacked the necessary tea, silk and salt, they traded their horses, wool and herbs with China, who had the items Tibet needed.

Sources:

https://jyyna.co.uk/tea-horse-road/

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/86338/8-trade-routes-shaped-world-history

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Due to the sheer volume of people traversing the route, multiple ideas were exchanged. One philosophy exchanged was Buddhism. Monks of Tibet were able to travel to China to teach people about the Buddhist faith, which is one of the ways the school of thought made its way to China. This also worked in the opposite way, with Daoist monks having the opportunity to travel to Tibet to inform people of their ideas, leading to religious diversity in both areas. Furthermore, ideas on cuisine were traded, leading to a blending of the cuisines, the creation of butter tea, and multiple foods incorporating tea leaves. The trade route also led to the spread of languages such as Mandarin due to the number of people involved with the trade route in areas such as Sichuan, cementing Mandarin as a mainstay in that area. However, a less noticed part of the Tea Horse trade route is its connection to the Indian sub-continent. The reason Buddhism from Tibet even arrived in Tibet was because of Indian Buddhists travelling on the Tea Horse route. In conclusion, philosophies, cuisine, and language were exchanged on the Tea Horse trade route.

Sources:

https://www.exploretibet.com/tibetan-history/the-tea-horse-road-in-tibet-a-historic-trade-route-connecting-cultures/

https://jyyna.co.uk/tea-horse-road/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_Horse_Road#:~:text=Beginning%20in%20the%20Han%20dynasty,trading%20market%20was%20in%20Kangding.

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Exploring The Tea Horse Road: A Journey Through History And Culture

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The Tea Horse Road, an ancient trade route, facilitated the exchange of tea from China for horses from Tibet, shaping cultural and economic ties between the regions while influencing local traditions and practices.

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The Chinese dynasties and Tibetan tribes benefitted from this trade. Tibetan tribes had tamed horses for war usage, giving a large benefit to them in cavalry. However, they needed something to energize their armies, and the best solution at the time was tea. Tea was produced primarily in China, and it was most logical to go to them due to the vicinity. In return for the tea, Tibetan tribes gave some of their warhorses to China, who required warhorses for their cavalry at the time. In conclusion, the Song Dynasty and Tibetan tribes benefited from the Tea Horse trade route because the thing they were missing could be given to them through the other. Additionally, trade kindled the economies of local governments. It also led to a more diverse cuisine and stronger diplomatics; so strong in fact, a Tang empress married a Tibetan King, Songsten Gampo. Also, multiple technological advancements occurred due to this trade. One such advancement was better caravans. In conclusion, both China’s dynasties and Tibetan Kingdoms benefitted from the Tea Horse trade route due to the resources, diplomacy, and technology they gained.

Sources:

https://jyyna.co.uk/tea-horse-road/

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China was one of the two main groups involved with trade on the Tea Horse trade route. The other group was kingdoms and tribes in Tibet. China was a massive producer of tea, silk, and some salt, but they lacked cavalry, herbs for their medicine. Tribes in the Tibetan region had powerful warhorses, herbs for medicine, and wool for clothing but lacked tea for energy. So, they established a trade system, with China getting horses for their army, and Tibetan tribes getting tea for their armies. Also, China regulated trade with Tibet in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, dividing the places tea was sold or traded into regions. This led to more diplomatic trade. In conclusion, China influenced the trade on the Tea Horse Road through the resources they provided and their diplomatic behavior, and Tibet influenced the trade through their resources.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_Horse_Road#:~:text=Beginning%20in%20the%20Han%20dynasty,trading%20market%20was%20in%20Kangding.

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/86338/8-trade-routes-shaped-world-history